United Arab Emirates Transport

Air

The main hub for air transport in the United Arab Emirates is Dubai airport, which is served by several major airlines, most notably Dubai-based Emirates. Direct flights connect Dubai to many major cities in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America and Africa. Abu Dhabi Airport has the next best international connections. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways now offers direct flights from New York, Toronto and many other airports in Europe and Asia. There are also small international airports at Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah and Al-Ain, primarily used by charter flights. There is no departure tax when leaving by air.

Bus

Oman National Transport Company (ONTC) runs buses from Dubai via Hatta to Muscat. You can take the bus from the ONTC office, located near the Caravan Restaurant, two to three times daily. The trip takes approximately five hours and buses have televisions and toilets on board. Note that this is the only bus company that non-GCC citizens can travel on.

Ferry

The Iranian shipping company Valfajre-8 has ferry services, usually on Sunday and Thursday, between Bandar-e Abba in Iran and Sharjah’s Port Khalid.

Car

With all highways in the UAE are in excellent condition, you can access to the United Arab Emirates from Saudi Arabia in the south and Oman in the east by car. But there is a huge amount of traffic between Sharjah and Dubai, as well as a 4 AED charge to cross the Salik toll gate. A prepaid Salik Tag is required for this.

Get around

Bus

Well-maintained Dubai Transport minibuses or buses serve all the emirates but uses go back to Dubai empty. Sharjah is the only exception that takes passengers on the return trip.

Car

The modern road system makes driving the best way to see the UAE. You need an international driver's license to rent a car, and usually simply a translation of your standard license acquired at a local automobile association would be OK.